How to Make Yogurt from Powdered Milk
Powdered milk is a popular item for home storage or emergency preparedness, but many people find the flavor of re-constituted powdered milk distasteful. You may find that you like the taste better as yogurt. Since you begin by mixing powdered milk with water, you can choose how thick you want to make it, and you don't even have to boil it first.
Steps
1. Experiment with different arrangements. For this article, there is a small Coleman camping cooler that measures 10 inches wide by 17 long by 11 tall. This size is perfect for holding 4 2 quart Ball canning jars of yogurt and 4 half gallon jugs of hot water to help keep it all warm.
2. Don't bother measuring the temperature with a thermometer. Just use the hottest water you can get from the kitchen tap. If you can stand to keep your hands in it for more than a few moments, it is OK.
3. Mix milk powder with water in a blender.
If you use Country Cream brand, one cup of powder mixed in 4 cups of water makes a regular (thin) yogurt. 3 cups of powder in 3 cups of water makes a thicker Greek Style yogurt. Pour the warm milk into jars.
4. Stir about 1/4 Cup of store bought yogurt into the milk mixture.
5. Screw a lid on each jar, but not tightly.
6. Place the jar(s) in a camping cooler.
7. Fill empty milk jugs with hot tap water.
8. Place jugs of hot tap water in between the jars of yogurt. Pour a little water out of some of the jugs it they don't quite fit.
9. Place a lid on the cooler, leave it to culture overnight.
10. In the morning (or after 8 hours) check the progress of the yogurt. If it has congealed (like jelly) it is ready. If it is still runny, replace the water in the jugs with hot water and put the lid back on for a few more hours.
Tips
-If the water is too hot, the yogurt may get real sour and the milk will curdle into cheese. Or you could just kill the yogurt culture. If you can keep your hands in it easily, it should be OK.
-3 cups of hot water + 3 cups of milk powder was all this blender jar could hold. Make small batches to be sure the blender will hold it all.
